2000
#1,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,014
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.05
Uncommon Last name
Smiley
An English surname derived from a nickname for a person with a cheerful disposition or pleasant smile.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,835 Americans carry the last name Smiley. That puts it at #1,849 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,697 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Smiley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Smiley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,697
Census rank
#1,849
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,041 bearers of the surname Smiley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1849th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Smiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (30.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smiley
The surname Smiley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "smil," meaning "a smile." It likely arose as a nickname in the Middle Ages, given to someone with a cheerful or smiley disposition.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Smiley dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. It was spelled in various ways, including Smyly, Smiley, and Smilie, reflecting the differing regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
One notable historical reference to the name Smiley appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a John Smyly is listed among the taxpayers. This record provides evidence of the name's use and spelling variation in medieval England.
In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with the life of Sir John Smiley (c. 1545-1612), a Scottish nobleman and Lord Provost of Edinburgh. His descendants continued to play influential roles in Scottish society for generations.
Another notable figure was Thomas Smiley (1638-1700), an English Quaker minister and writer who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies, spreading the Quaker faith and publishing numerous religious works.
The surname also found its way to Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers. One prominent Irish bearer was Samuel Smiley (1784-1857), a successful linen merchant and philanthropist from County Antrim.
In the United States, the name Smiley gained recognition through figures like Sarah Smiley (1792-1875), a renowned Quaker minister from Rhode Island who traveled extensively, preaching and advocating for social causes.
Another notable American was Alfred Smiley (1828-1903), a businessman and philanthropist from New York who founded the Mohonk Mountain House, a famous resort in the Catskill Mountains.
Throughout its history, the surname Smiley has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, spanning different countries and time periods. Its enduring presence reflects the lasting impact of this cheerful moniker and the diverse stories of those who have borne it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smiley
Among Census respondents with the surname Smiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (30.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Smiley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Smiley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.6% · 11,349
- Black or African American30.2% · 5,747
- Two or more races4.6% · 881
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 560
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 411
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 93
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smiley
Smiley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,829
+815 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 6.72
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#1,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,041
-788 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 6.37
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,728 | 19,014 | 7.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,812 | 19,829 | 6.72 | +815 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #1,849 | 19,041 | 6.37 | -788 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 37 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Smiley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,812 | #1,849 | -2.0% |
| Count | 19,829 | 19,041 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.72 | 6.37 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smiley bearers went from 19,829 to 19,041 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,812 to #1,849.
FAQ
Smiley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smiley?
Name Census estimates that about 21,835 living Americans carry the surname Smiley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,697 residents.
How common is Smiley?
Smiley ranks #1,849 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,041 people with the surname Smiley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,835), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Smiley.
Has Smiley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smiley went from 19,829 recorded bearers to 19,041. That is a decrease of 788 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,812 to #1,849.
What does the Census say about the background of Smiley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.6%. The next largest groups are Black (30.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Smiley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.6% (11,349 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smiley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.6%), Black (30.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Smiley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Smiley mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a person with a cheerful disposition or pleasant smile. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Smiley (6.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Smiley?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Smiley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.